Dems hit private firms' nursing homes

Congressional Democrats used a Government Accountability Office report Monday to call for changes in the way Medicare pays some nursing homes.

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) and Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) raised questions about nursing homes that are owned by private investment firms. They said those facilities target the best care to patients who will generate higher Medicare reimbursements.

“Seniors in nursing homes deserve high-quality treatment, regardless of who owns or manages the facility," Baucus said in a statement. "Nursing homes specifically targeting wealthier seniors could leave millions of disadvantaged Americans in the breach when they are most vulnerable."

The GAO study generally does not back up concerns that private investment nursing homes are more dangerous for seniors than facilities owned by a public company. The report found that private investors' facilities had a higher overall rate of deficiencies, but the two types of facilities were evenly matched on the rates of problems that pose a serious threat to patients.